We extend Ruge-Murcia (2003, 2004) to weigh inflation and output and show that empirical evidence supports an asymmetric preference hypothesis for output. We also find evidence that the monetary authority targets potential output in parallel to Barro and Gordon (1983).

Surico (2007) showed that the Federal Reserve Bank (FED) asymmetric preferences for the output gap disappeared during recent times. We show that this result is sensitive to the starting date chosen for the regressions. Using a starting date of 1984:01 or later, we find that the hypothesis of the...

We use a simple endogenous growth model with productive public capital to investigate the degree to which observed fiscal policies in eight OECD countries can account for slowdowns in the growth rates of aggregate labor productivity since 1970. In model simulations, we find that none of the...

This paper considers a time varying parameter extension of the Ruge-Murcia (2003, 2004) model to explore whether some of the variation in parameter estimates seen in the literature could arise from this source. A time varying value for the unemployment volatility parameter can be motivated...

Using a model of an optimizing monetary authority which has preferences that weigh inflation and unemployment, Ruge-Murcia (2003, 2004) finds empirical evidence that the authority has asymmetric preferences for unemployment. We extend this model to weigh inflation and output and show that the...

This paper investigates privately and socially optimal patterns of economic development in a two-sector endogenous growth model with clean and dirty goods. We consider a second-best fiscal policy framework in which distortionary taxes jointly influence economic growth and environmental quality....